Choosing where to host a website is a long-term decision, so it's fair to ask what happens if you ever want to leave. On htmlhost the answer is simple: nothing is locked in. Your sites are built from standard HTML, CSS and JavaScript, your form responses are yours, and you can take all of it with you in a couple of clicks. Move out whenever you want, and move back in whenever you want.
What you can take with you
- Every file of your site: all pages, stylesheets, scripts, images, fonts and other assets, in the same folder structure the site uses.
- Every form response: messages collected by your contact forms, onboarding forms, landing page sign-ups, order forms, booking and quote requests, and any other form on your site.
- Editable source files, for developers who work in their own editor, along with the site's redirect rules.
All of it is in open, everyday formats: files any web host can serve, and a CSV spreadsheet that opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or any CRM.
Export a site with its form responses (step by step)
The full export lives in each site's own settings. It works on every plan.
- Sign in and open My sites (from the menu under your avatar, top right).
- On the site you want, select the gear icon (Manage site). You can also open the site's ⋮ Actions menu and choose Manage site.
- Open the Settings tab.
- Scroll to Export site and select Export as ZIP.
- Choose where to save it. The button shows progress while your files are packed.
The ZIP contains your whole site, with the home page as index.html, plus form-submissions.csvholding every response the site has collected: when it arrived, which form and page it came from, and every field the visitor filled in, each in its own column. Repeat for each site you'd like to export.
Export form responses on their own
Want just the responses, for one site or all of them at once? In My sites, switch to the Inbox tab at the top, filter by site or form if you like, and select Export CSV. Files that visitors attached to a message can be downloaded from that message in the Inbox.
On Pro you can also keep responses flowing elsewhere as they arrive: a live Google Sheets feed and webhooks are on each site's Forms tab.
Pull editable source with the CLI
Developers can download a site's working source files straight into a folder, ready for any code editor or version control:
npm i -g htmlhost-cli
htmlhost login
htmlhost clone your-sitehtmlhost pull refreshes a folder you've already cloned. The site's redirect rules come down too, as a standard _redirects file. See the documentation for every option.
Move out, move back in
Because your export is plain web files, it runs on any static host or web server: upload the folder and it's live. And if you decide to come back, it's just as easy: drop your files or ZIP onto the htmlhost homepage to open them in the editor, or run htmlhost deploy in the folder, then publish. Your site is back, ready to edit with AI or by hand.
If you have a public page on another host but no local copy, Import from URL can bring it into an editable project on Pro. Use it for pages you own or have permission to use; check the preview, assets and forms before publishing. Follow the website import walkthrough for the steps and limitations.
A custom domain you connect stays registered with you. Moving it is a matter of pointing its DNS records at wherever your site lives.
Why we built it this way
We'd rather you stay because htmlhost is the best place for your sites, not because leaving is hard. Open formats, one-click exports and your form data in your hands mean you can build here with confidence, knowing your work is always yours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export my site from htmlhost?
Yes, at any time. Open My sites, choose Manage site on the site, go to Settings and select Export as ZIP. You get every file of the site plus a spreadsheet of all its form responses.
Are my form responses included in the export?
Yes. The ZIP includes form-submissions.csv with every response your site has collected, from contact, onboarding, landing page, order and any other forms, ready for Excel, Google Sheets or any CRM.
Will my exported site work on another host?
Yes. Your pages are plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript, so the exported files can be uploaded to any static host or web server.
Can I come back after moving my site elsewhere?
Yes. Drop your files or ZIP onto the htmlhost homepage to open them in the editor, or deploy the folder with the htmlhost CLI, and publish again whenever you're ready.